The Archer's Tale

Rating:
Summary: Harlequin - In the Days of Olde
Review: "Harlequin" is the name of this book published in the UK; "The Archer's Tale" is the same book with a different title, published in the USA. Harlequin/Archers Tale is the 1st book in the 3-book medieval Grail Quest series. It is about a young English man whose father is the supposed holder of the Grail and The Lance of St. George. Thomas becomes an archer when a French war band travels deep into Britain to retrieve the Lance of St. George. Thomas travels across Britain to retrieve the lance. During his journeys he finds many friends and finds the lance. Bernard Cornwell's writing is exhilarating and keeps you riveted to the book. Cornwell has the talent to create epic historic battle scenes: Lots of thrilling, heart-pounding fighting among archers, knights, and men-in-arms. Harlequin and the other books in the Grail Quest series are all equally good. I recommend this book and the Grail Quest series whole heartedly. For anyone who likes traveling history via battles and romances, this book will be perfect for you.

Rating:
Summary: Archer's Tale Hits The Mark
Review: A compulsively readable story set in the midst of the blood-soaked 100 Years War. The tale is historically accurate, but does not overwhelm the reader with unnecessary detail. Characterization closely parallels the real world, as almost everyone is evil (to a degree).
Highly recommended to history buffs, action/adventure aficionados, and *gasp* lovers of high fantasy.

Rating:
Summary: Violent Tale of Violent Era; Birth of Intriguing Series
Review: Bernard Cornwell (the Richard Sharpe series, the Starbuck series) is a master of historical fiction, and "The Archer's Tale" is his first foray into the early years of the Hundred Years War between England and France.

"The Archer's Tale" opens with a horrifyingly brutish assault by the French on the small village of Hookton, which protects a mighty relic through its tiny size and complete lack of importance. The relic, the black lance used by St. George to slay the Dragon, is seized by the Harlequin, and the town razed. The Harlequin also kills his uncle, an old priest with a murky past. Cornwell's description of the destruction and rape of Hookton is masterful in its economy and its clarity -- this book quickly establishes that it is not for the squeamish!

Thomas, the archer, escapes the sack of Hookton through his mastery of the bow, which is the dominant military weapon of the era (the late 1300's). Contrary to common perception, archers were not the small wimps who hung out in the rear while the mighty swordsmen and cavalry fought the battles. An archer was fantastically strong owing to years of stringing their mighty bows, and Thomas is an archer's archer. He vows revenge on the man who has brought destruction to Hookton.

Possessing more lives than a cat, Thomas journeys to France and plays a crucial role in the sack of a French village. Earning the respect, love, or hatred of those whom he encounters (he inspires strong feelings, does our Thomas), Thomas uses his wits, his skill with a bow, a good head for warfare, and just plain blind luck to journey from battle to battle, from siege to siege.

Cornwell brings the Middle Ages alive with his vivid descriptions of life in small villages as well as his depiction of the mighty French city of Caen. We get a good sense of the world Thomas inhabits, from the critical role of religion to the importance of allegience to a lord to the harsh realities of losing a battle. Cornwell does not shy away from the consequences to the elderly, to women, and to children if their defenders lose to the foe, whose army is more likely to be made up of murderers and rapists than heirs of the Knights of the Round Table. Life on the losing end was nasty, brutish, and inevitably short.

Of course, life isn't much better for the men, who throw themselves into battles worthy of "Braveheart" in their horrors. While he never gets heavy-handed, Cornwell shows the terrors of war, from the disembowelments, beheadings, boilings, and other gruesome deaths, to the terrible cost in horses and the thankless role of the mercenary.

Through it all, Thomas pursues his oath of vengeance, although not with the singlemindedness that would make him boring. Hounded from time to time by a friendly cleric and fatherly commander, Thomas often seeks the solace of a quiet life with an attractive woman (he meets more than a few) in the midst of the carnage of war, and it rarely works out.

While not as titanic as Colleen McCullough's "Masters of Rome" series or as detailed, "The Archer's Tale" is a riveting story set in a harsh era. Short on intrigue, long on battles, "The Archer's Tale" is an entertaining read that seems much shorter than its 380-odd pages.

Rating:
Summary: Violent Tale of Violent Era; Birth of Intriguing Series
Review: Bernard Cornwell (the Richard Sharpe series, the Starbuck series) is a master of historical fiction, and "The Archer's Tale" is his first foray into the early years of the Hundred Years War between England and France.

"The Archer's Tale" opens with a horrifyingly brutish assault by the French on the small village of Hookton, which protects a mighty relic through its tiny size and complete lack of importance. The relic, the black lance used by St. George to slay the Dragon, is seized by the Harlequin, and the town razed. The Harlequin also kills his uncle, an old priest with a murky past. Cornwell's description of the destruction and rape of Hookton is masterful in its economy and its clarity -- this book quickly establishes that it is not for the squeamish!

Thomas, the archer, escapes the sack of Hookton through his mastery of the bow, which is the dominant military weapon of the era (the late 1300's). Contrary to common perception, archers were not the small wimps who hung out in the rear while the mighty swordsmen and cavalry fought the battles. An archer was fantastically strong owing to years of stringing their mighty bows, and Thomas is an archer's archer. He vows revenge on the man who has brought destruction to Hookton.

Possessing more lives than a cat, Thomas journeys to France and plays a crucial role in the sack of a French village. Earning the respect, love, or hatred of those whom he encounters (he inspires strong feelings, does our Thomas), Thomas uses his wits, his skill with a bow, a good head for warfare, and just plain blind luck to journey from battle to battle, from siege to siege.

Cornwell brings the Middle Ages alive with his vivid descriptions of life in small villages as well as his depiction of the mighty French city of Caen. We get a good sense of the world Thomas inhabits, from the critical role of religion to the importance of allegience to a lord to the harsh realities of losing a battle. Cornwell does not shy away from the consequences to the elderly, to women, and to children if their defenders lose to the foe, whose army is more likely to be made up of murderers and rapists than heirs of the Knights of the Round Table. Life on the losing end was nasty, brutish, and inevitably short.

Of course, life isn't much better for the men, who throw themselves into battles worthy of "Braveheart" in their horrors. While he never gets heavy-handed, Cornwell shows the terrors of war, from the disembowelments, beheadings, boilings, and other gruesome deaths, to the terrible cost in horses and the thankless role of the mercenary.

Through it all, Thomas pursues his oath of vengeance, although not with the singlemindedness that would make him boring. Hounded from time to time by a friendly cleric and fatherly commander, Thomas often seeks the solace of a quiet life with an attractive woman (he meets more than a few) in the midst of the carnage of war, and it rarely works out.

While not as titanic as Colleen McCullough's "Masters of Rome" series or as detailed, "The Archer's Tale" is a riveting story set in a harsh era. Short on intrigue, long on battles, "The Archer's Tale" is an entertaining read that seems much shorter than its 380-odd pages.

Rating:
Summary: 100 Years War Battlefield Action
Review: Harlequin is Bernard Cornwell's first book in The Grail Quest Series and we are introduced to Thomas of Hookton for the first time. This book is more well known as "The Archers Tale", but here in New Zealand it has been released under the name Harlequin. The story is set around the time of the 100 Years War with the main protagonist's being France and England. Thomas, the son of a priest starts his adventure after leaving England to join the army of King Edward III and do battle in France. Not only is he there to fight for honour and money, but to recover a sacred relic, a lance stolen from Thomas's village of Hookton, when the French sacked it and killed his father. Thomas's father is not originally from Hookton and his family heritage is a secret that Thomas is intent on uncovering. Thomas is an accomplished archer and despite all the gallantry of the Knights, and masses of men-at-arms, it is the English King's common archers that spread fear throughout the French troops, and ultimately determine the outcome of battles. Cornwell's works of military history, of which his most famous are the adventures of Richard Sharpe, are hugely detailed and infinitely researched. Although the characters in Harlequin are fictional, many of the battles portrayed actually occurred which adds to the interest of the story. Cornwell has that magical writer's quality where he can thrust the reader into the era he is writing about. It's akin to entering a time portal every time you pick up the novel. Once you are there he puts you in the heart of the battlefield and it's difficult to return to the 21st century without being sickened by the reality of warfare in this dark age. He pulls no punches with Harlequin and the horrors of battle and the treatment of civilians are vividly rendered. As with all Cornwell novels and as indicated by the title of the series 'The Grail Quest' there is an underlying story evolving with the main character that runs parallel to the fortunes of the army he fights for. Thomas of Hookton exhibits many of the characteristics of Richard Sharpe. He is physically strong and tall, he likes his woman and he is an efficient and ruthless adversary in battle. Above all, Thomas is a flawed character. I look forward to book two in the series, 'Vagabond' to see how Cornwell develops Thomas's personal traits. This is an era where battles are brutal affairs fought with vicious weapons. In contrast to this, the traditions of the knights, Lords and other nobles in the story provide an interesting insight into human behaviour. One moment a soldier can be merciless and cold-blooded and the next moment, a gallant gentleman. Cornwell explores this human trait nicely and it adds to the flavour of the story. I enjoyed this book. I don't rate it up there with the best of the Richard Sharpe books, as I have an affinity with the Napoleonic Wars and with Sharpe himself. If you think the French and English hated one another during this era, wait until the Scots make an appearance in the second book in the series, and be appalled at how they treated one another. Recommended for those with an interest in an action packed historical novel. Highly recommended to those with an interest in military history novels.

Rating:
Summary: Page turner
Review: I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next two offerings in this series. The Archer's Tale gives us a grim look at the beginning of the Hundred Year War the brutality of the times. The action sequence were outstanding and not romanticized. The juxtaposition of cruel brutatality for loot and the dying chivalry of the times showed the sharp contrasts existing within each character.

I found the cast of characters intriguing, but the main two characters, Thomas and Jeanette, seemed to fall just short of being fully realized. Their actions went unexplained at some points and their emotional development unexplored.

Those points aside, I think this book has made me a fan of Mr. Cornwell and I look forward to reading his many other novels.

Rating:
Summary: The Archer's Tale
Review: If you enjoy entertaining medieval story telling, then this is the first of a trilogy for you. I happened upon B.C.'s books while browsing a store so I had no preconceived notions about this author. I can say that his historical fiction paints a bleak but fascinating picture of life in the 14th century.
Thomas, the main character, has a full life with his duty, oaths, and personal quest. His attitude, character development, and trials make him a likeable hero.

Rating:
Summary: Another book that will rob you of sleep
Review: It's the old cliche about novels that you see in reviews all the time: They are a page turner, or you can't put it down.
For the three or four days I read this book, that was true of The Archer's Tale for me.
I couldn't get to sleep. I tried, but I always turned over and picked it back up where I had left off. Bernard Cornwell draws such a good picture of Thomas of Hookton's world you don't want to do anything else but read this book.
As this novel opens, forces from almost all sides are working against the hero -- Thomas of Hookton. He's the bastard son of a crazy priest who has advised him to get on with his life.
An expert marksman with a longbow, Thomas is at a crossroads in his life when French raiders fall upon the seaside town of Hookton early on the morning of Easter 1342. Well educated, but drifting, Thomas is pondering a purpose to his life, and he's gotten a girl pregnant.
War, as it is apt to do, is about to change all that for Thomas. The French come, led by Sir Guillame d'Evecque along with a shadowy sort called The Harlequin, looking for relics Thomas' father might have at the church.
They kill and pillage and find a few odds and ends in the church. Then the men at arms leave and behind them the village of Hookton is pretty much destroyed.
The French scoot after taking their booty and several women, including Thomas' pregnant girlfriend (he doesn't really shed any tears over that even hopes she finds a better life) but not before Thomas kills several French men at arms with well placed arrow shots.
So begins The Archer's Tale. Thomas finds his purpose, which is to cross over to France, find the men who attacked his village, and seek vengance. To do that he has to join the army and slay French troops opposing the English warriors trapsing across France.
Bernard Cornwell, who always does a wonderful job with the Richard Sharpe books, strikes a good balance between action, adventure and the odd romance Thomas encounters in this book, which opens a series of three to date about Thomas of Hookton (the other two are Vagabond and Heretic).
Thomas is certianly not an everyman of his time. He's educated, should have been a priest but he wound up an archer instead. He uses his wits to cross behind enemy lines and provides for himself and the odd companion he picks up along the way through his skills as a warrior and a scholar.
Thomas is sort of caught between two worlds. He is not nobility, and many times he is cast down upon because of his low archer status. He also has enemies in the English army as well as the French. So, in the book he ends up fighting both a couple of times.
The history and realism are wonderfully woven into these books. Cornwell also does an excellent job showing how an army marches and wears out. The leaders are always worried about things like armor, arrows and boots. After several months in France, it is a tired, poorly shod English army that squares off against the French at the battle of Crecy.
The background is historically rich and the reader will not only be entertained by Thomas quest for manhood and revenge but also will be educated about this time in history.

Rating:
Summary: Found lacking
Review: The Archer's Tale didn't live up to its back cover copy. While the battle scenes are detailed, one ran into another, and another, and another... How interesting can several hundred descriptions of people getting gored/shot/stabbed/beheaded/trampled/impaled, etc. be? As Thomas, the main character, observed, war is gray, and much of this novel fell into a dull, gray zone for me, most likely because Thomas was a dull character. While his physical description was interesting, the internal man had the personality of pudding. Why did he maintain a different look? Where were his emotions other than, as another reviewer noted, "shrug"? The Blackbird had great promise as a character, but halfway through, the relationship between her and Thomas is summed up in cursory narrative, and she's whisked off the main stage with no explanation other than that she was 'a hard woman.' Some of the best characters in fiction were hard women, but Jeanette's depths are not plumbed here. Thomas appears to have no depth. He's merely an eyepiece through which we observe one battle after another. I recommend Cecelia Holland's excellent historicals instead.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible, absolutely incredible!
Review: This has been one of the most pleasant and surprising reads I have encountered. Now, I read, on average, one large paperback novel a week. As an avid reader, I have also become quite picky. I enjoy the finer books, the gourmet. This novel was based upon the life and times of Thomas of Hookton, and his experiences in northern France during the opening of the Hundred Years War. After seeing Henry the Vth with Keven Brannaugh, I have been most curious about the war, and this was the single most accurate novel I have probably had the honor of reading. Get this book, read the series, and long live Mr. Cornwell!!